UFC Fight Night 274 takes place on Saturday at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada and features a Featherweight fight between Aljamain Sterling and Youssef Zalal as the main event. I have 3 best bets for UFC Fight Night 274, all of which are on the main card, and I’m ready to break each of them down for you.
Let’s get into it, and be sure to also check out the rest of our UFC predictions for all of the UFC Fight Night 274 main-card contests.
UFC best bet: Aljamain Sterling ML over Youssef Zalal (+110)
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to +110.
Sterling enters this fight with an MMA record of 25-5 and 17-5 in the UFC, averaging 4.45 significant strikes per minute with a striking accuracy of 52%. On the other side, he absorbs 2.21 strikes and has a striking defense of 59%. Meanwhile, his grappling is strong, averaging 2.45 takedowns every 15 minutes. Sterling has a takedown accuracy of 30% and a takedown defense of 44%.
While Zalal is the small favorite in this fight, Sterling looks to be the best betting option. Sterling has gone 11-2 over his last 13 UFC fights, only losing to Sean O’Malley and Movsar Evloev during this stretch. Zalal, on the other hand, has been equally impressive, going 5-0 in his last 5 UFC fights. That being said, Sterling has the edge in both striking volume and grappling. He has also faced tough opponents overall and has held a title in his career. Because Sterling looks to have been more tested, backing Sterling to win is our first best bet.
Read our full Aljamain Sterling vs. Youssef Zalal prediction
UFC prediction: Rafa Garcia ML over Alexander Hernandez (+110)
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing. Playable to +110.
The 4th fight on the main card at UFC Fight Night 274 will see Rafa Garcia take on Alexander Hernandez and will be a fight in the UFC Lightweight division. Garcia enters this fight with an MMA record of 18-4 and 6-4 in the UFC. He averages 4.31 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 45%, while he absorbs 4.54 strikes and has a striking defense of 61%. Garcia’s grappling is elite, averaging 3.13 takedowns every 15 minutes along with a takedown accuracy of 44% and a takedown defense of 76%.
Hernandez is the small favorite, but I’m going with another underdog here. Garcia is 6-2 over his last 8 UFC fights and 4-1 over his last 5 UFC fights. Hernandez, on the other hand, is 5-4 over his last 9 UFC fights. Both of these fighters have the same striking volume, but Garcia has the superior grappling advantage. That’s the key differentiator in this one.
Read our full Rafa Garcia vs. Alexander Hernandez prediction
UFC pick: Adrian Luna Martinetti ML over Davey Grant (+114)
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to +114.
The 3rd fight on the main card at UFC Fight Night 274 will see Davey Grant take on Adrian Luna Martinetti in the UFC Bantamweight division. Martinetti enters this fight with an MMA record of 17-1, but he’s had just 1 UFC fight — which he won. He averages 11.00 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 65%. Meanwhile, Martinetti absorbs 7.80 strikes and has a striking defense of 48%. His grappling ability has been very good so far, averaging 3.00 takedowns every 15 minutes with a 100% takedown defense.
Another underdog? Another underdog. Take the plus-money price on Martinetti in this one. While he has only had 1 UFC fight, he dominated his opponent. Grant, on the other hand, has been inconsistent recently, going 4-4 in his last 8 UFC fights. Further, Martinetti has a significant edge in striking volume and should be the better grappler if he continues his current form.
Read our full Adrian Luna Martinetti vs. Davey Grant prediction
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